Tooth strengthening, and/or remineralization, naturally occurs through the deposition of salivary minerals such as calcium and phosphate into dentition.
It has been realized that the addition of fluoride can expedite the remineralization process. Additionally, the chemical interaction of fluoride with tooth mineral yields a benefit enjoyed by fluoridated enamel in that fluoridated enamel is less soluble than non-fluoridated enamel and thus more durable. Therefore, fluoridation continues to be an effective dental strategy against mineral loss. Nevertheless, statistics continue to reveal that tooth decay remains problematic. Thus, improving remineralization and/or strengthening remains a challenging problem and opportunity.
Nevertheless, while the above-mentioned approaches may provide benefits, tooth decay remains problematic. Often, combination systems do not provide sufficient mineral integration with the tooth. One reason is due to the undesirable interactions between calcium and fluoride that can occur in an aqueous dental preparation. Often, dental preparations are designed to be compartmentalized or prepared in the absence of water to reduce the unwanted calcium-fluoride or calcium-phosphate interactions during shelf-life. The delivery systems of such products remain ineffective. The underlying reasons for such delivery system designs can be attributed to the interactions due to the presence of water. Marginal remineralization and/or strengthening is one drawback from some of the calcium and phosphate-based preparations that combine the two salts in an aqueous preparation, or a separate preparation in the absence of water. Additionally, the limited remineralization that does occur may break down, rendering the tooth susceptible to repeated acid-attack. Separately, the use of metallic species may not provide acceptable aesthetic or sensory qualities, and may contribute elevated risk factors for patient populations prescribed with certain medications.
Thus, there remains a need for a system that provides for sufficiently bioavailable amounts of calcium and phosphate together to maximize dentition strengthening. The present novel technology addresses this need.